TALAS x bitter melon bindery Sketchbook Kit
An all-in-one bookbinding kit with the quality materials you need to make a lay-flat sketchbook with reusable hardcover. Video tutorial is now live on my YouTube channel.
Awl About Bookbinding
A new YouTube series celebrating bookbinding and the book arts! After four years of filming quiet process videos in my studio, I’m ready to take you on a new adventure – meeting inspiring artists, exploring their craft, and getting to know the hands that make the books.
The third episode is now live! UCLA Library’s book and paper conservator Nicole Alvarado repairs centuries-old manuscripts and books so that they can be accessible for research for generations to come. She took me on an exclusive tour of the preservation lab!
Watch episode 1 & 2 here. In episode 1 I travelled to San Francisco to interview papercut book artist, Insiya Dhatt, and get an inside look into a fine binding competition and exhibition. The second episode takes us to Tokyo Japan, where miniature book artist Miyako Akai shares her sentimental works and explores the differences between Japanese and Western styles of bookbinding.
We aim to complete season 1 in 2025. Help us make this happen by donating to our GoFundMe!
Order Handmade Books at Home so you can make your own beautiful books.
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Connect with me and other binders to find support and get inspiration.
Hello! I’m Chanel Ly, the bookbinder and creator behind bitter melon bindery.
The first book I made in 2013 was wonky and I treasured it. As a fervent paper scraps saver, I was delighted to learn how to turn a simple material into a beautiful and functional piece of art. When my shelves were overflowing with handmade books, I created bitter melon bindery in 2017.
I release journal and sketchbook collections once in a while, and share calming bookbinding videos on YouTube. In December 2023, my book for beginner bookbinders was published, called Handmade Books at Home.